Monday, December 17, 2012

Guns across America

What happens when a gunman goes on a killing spree in the United States? Gun sales increase. People die, others make money. From 1994 to 2004 there was an assault gun ban in effect in the US. The Republicans came into full power, under gwbjr, and that was gone. President Kennedy was killed by a mail order gun. In 1984, 21 were killed in a San Ysidro McDonald's by a man who told his wife he was going "hunting humans". His main weapon was a 9mm Uzi. At the time, it was the highest one man, one day body count in the country. It has been surpassed more than once since.

We have also seen the killings at Columbine High 1999, Virginia Tech 2007, and too many others to remember. Locally this year, three were killed at Chardon High. Elsewhere in the country, we saw killings at a picture show in Aurora Colorado during the presidential campaign. It was not spoken of in political campaigns. Gun nuts have spent much money against Obama. When he became president there were shortages of ammunition. His re-election sold more guns again. What has he done to limit gun availability? Nothing. But something has finally gotten the country's attention.

I waited to write this, so that, i do not make remarks on incorrect suppositions of emerging public details. I did not need to be so cautious. This killing of twenty first grade children, and six women that were their teachers and staff was, is, nationally traumatic.

Last night, a public interfaith service was held in Newtown's High School. President Barack Obama was there and spoke. On local television, in northeast Ohio, Fox national was locally broadcast on WJW8. The other local stations did not locally broadcast, at least, so much of the service. I do not know if the other networks offered a national feed to local stations (now i read some did, and some football fanatics were displeased). We know that it is odd Fox ran this event without attacking Obama, or defending the gun lobby/industry; after all, their payroll Baptist preacher, Mike Huckabee*, gave vent to noxious air through his mouth. It is not fair to paint all White Baptists as loathsome nuts, but publicly all other clergy, and religious figures spoke sadly and with grief. Professional Baptists—Huckabee, Westboro Baptist of Kansas that revels in the deaths of people and continually play to outrage in front of cameras, and a previously nationally unknown Sam Morris, who spat some bile at a microphone, were eager to display their vulgarly stupid vile views.

The gun nuts, NRA and their politicians have always known they were wrong, so when time comes to pay the bill, they absent themselves from table. Every time a shooting tragedy makes the news, the gun lobby wants silence. When a tragedy is not in the news, the gun lobby (and their supporters) will not shut up. That is why the standard response is to be silent until the event fades from broadcast, and the front page—for active collective memory in America is short.

This weekend past, the networks only got Louie Gohmert (Rep.Texas R [of course]) to speak inanity in favor, and he (now with Walsh and West about to be gone) is reclaiming number 3 outhouse rat crazy status in the House. As the days pass, second, or third, and fourth tier nuts will be easily found to speak on camera. They fetish their objects, love their monetary promise, and are too ignorant to see how heinously stupid they appear to the general public.

These mass murders, often, by automatic fire occur from time to time. Each time these events occur, the NRA (the semi-official national gun nut lobby) becomes silent. They say it is not the time for the conversation. All other times they are aggressive in attacking all those that try to suggest a lessening of the gun nut absolutist position. No limitation will be considered. Bob Costas on 2 December spoke, on the gun culture of violence in this country, after a footballer killed his girlfriend and himself. He was castigated by many (including the NRA) for his sermonising intrusion during time usually spent only on sports fluff.

The tendency for the press and others to squelch the talk of gun responsibility is automatic. It becomes a 'security' question. If the gun is absent, there is no need for security measures to protect individuals from their use. It is also interesting that early reports did not want the assault rifle identified as the killing stick. It seems now that Adam Lanza shot out a window to enter the building. Comments questioned how he accessed the building, as if the school was deficient. No, he came prepared to kill many, with the proper tools to kill, and nothing other than himself could stop him after he was armed and determined. The gun operated precisely as it was designed.Here in this Sandy Hook School of Newtown Connecticut the killer is said to have had psycho-social difficulties, perhaps Asperger's syndrome. He took three guns from his mother. It is not autism per se, that is the factor; it is encouraging anyone with any mental problems to play with guns, or to have access to them. Something was wrong with the mother. The woman had a machine gun (assault rifle), what kind a nut was she? Such 'defense' fantasies fail: hole yourself up with one, and the police will send an implacable army after you. and always people insist that guns are to protect them and their loved ones. Such a weapon will never save one outside military usage. Both mother and son were identified as responsible with guns. No, they were gun nuts.

The United States exports (and imports) all sorts of munitions. One of the guns, the gun wielding murderer had, was a Sig Sauer pistol. This is a Swiss and German combine that cannot manufacture enough guns in Europe for the American market. So their cheap labor source is an American factory.

Guns are the perfect 'sacramentals' in the United States, they combine the worship of two gods—Mammon and Mars. The merchants of death grow fat in America. Every such gun usage sells more guns than ever did Dinah Shore sell Chevrolets.

8 January 2011. Nineteen people were shot by one gunman, six died._______________________________________

* Huckabee was keynote speaker 2011 NRA national convention

Postscriptum. 18 December 2012: Ah, yes, there are other Republicans. Remember, the chief attribute of a Republican is unbridled hypocrisy. Jack Kingston (R. Georgia R.) has shown himself a selfish pig before. He has come up with more duplicitous nonsense. click.

Also: Any rebroadcast, reproduction, or other use of the pictures, descriptions, and accounts of this journal without the express written consent of Major League Baseball is strictly prohibited.

May be too intense for some viewers. No animals were harmed in the photographing of this internet journal. Trolls are strictly forbidden. Keep undies unbunched. If condition persists, consult your physician. Satisfaction may vary. This supersedes all previous notices.

The editor, chief writer, and photographer of this and several internet journals is Stanislav Zadnik.